


floriography

by adiosnoninos



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Character Study, Flowers, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Introspection, Like lots of it, M/M, Microscopic amount of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21922417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adiosnoninos/pseuds/adiosnoninos
Summary: Maybe the flowers might whisper the answer to him. Alas, flowers can’t speak. They’re only there to be pretty, their messages hidden away from the world.
Relationships: Moon Taeil/Qian Kun
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	floriography

**Author's Note:**

> not beta-ed i die like a man

Taeil felt the sun caress his face. He slowly blinked his eyes open, trying to take note of his surroundings. It appears that he woke up in the middle of a flower field. Colors as far as his eye can see. Taeil knew that this is not real life. In the real world, all he knew was the gray, worn-out buildings, the constant smog that stretched out for miles, and the last of the greenery along Hangang. On some days, he might be lucky to see a bit of the blue sky instead of the constant gray he was used to. There was an absence of noise too. There were no engines roaring, no wailing of the sirens, no loud cacophony of conversations.

Why would he wake up in a flower field by himself? Most importantly, what kind of dream is he having?

He took note of his surroundings. Multi-colored blooms greeted him as the gentle breeze blew. He spotted a bouquet and picked it up. It was a beautiful bouquet. White lilies stood out against the dark red roses and poppies. Baby’s breath filled up remaining spaces. A white ribbon secured it.

Dread spread throughout his body as he recognized the flowers. Dark red roses for mourning, white lilies were once given during his grandparent’s funeral and poppies for condolence. Funeral flowers. Taeil is holding a funeral in a bouquet. A macabre reminder in the midst of the beautiful surrounding. As much as he wanted to throw it away, he had to find out who is it for. He scanned his surroundings for any answer. Maybe the flowers might whisper the answer to him. Alas, flowers can’t speak. They’re only there to be pretty, their messages hidden away from the world.

Deciding it was useless to just sit around and stare at the bouquet, he stood up and started walking. He managed to identify some flowers from his time as a florist. Yellow tulips for joy, red chrysanthemums for love, carnations of all colors waiting to tell their stories. He stopped by to admire a couple of lilies of the valley. So much beauty in one place. While Taeil looked around, he began to hear faint singing.

His feet grew a life of its own as he walked towards the source. The singer sang with sorrow and longing at once. He wondered if the bouquet belongs to them. Taeil slowly approached them, afraid to interrupt them.

“More than a colorful future, please wait a little more,” They sang, “Extend your hands, there will be love here.”

Taeil was enchanted, if not already. The singer mourned for something and he got dragged along unintentionally. An unlucky spectator to a tragedy. He stops walking, standing a few feet away from the singer. The song slowly died out, silence ruling the dream once more. It was between him, the mysterious singer, and the flower field.

“Taeil,” He heard them speak. If his singing voice was like honey, then his speaking voice reminded him of home. A long day juggling between three jobs and coming home to a lonely apartment. “you’re really here. You came.”

He stopped walking suddenly, taken aback. Did they know him? “Uhm, I’m here.” He could sense that the other person is smiling. If they’re really glad to see him, then why they are still turned away from him? Taeil approached them slowly. The other person sensed he was coming closer and moved further away. “No, not now.”

“Huh? What do you mean not now?”

“A long story. Have a seat.”

Against his better judgment, Taeil sat down as close as he could to the other person. He made sure to face away from them too. They stayed like this for a while, their hands occasionally brushing each other. The gesture was new yet it was also familiar. Taeil was single for as long as he could remember. He had no interest in relationships and politely turned down people. Maybe the one he was meeting was from a distant future?

If it’s a distant future, then why is he holding a funeral bouquet?

“You brought flowers.” They finally spoke after a while. Taeil nearly jumped up, relaxing when it was just the singer. He wordlessly offered the bouquet to them, curious with their reaction. He probably offended them as they are literal funeral flowers. He was surprised to hear them say thanks.

His dream is getting stranger. He wants to wake up and forget about it. His mundane life as a part-time barista, part-time florist, and part-time waiter seemed to be more interesting right now.

Taeil wants to wake up.

“If you’re thinking I’m offended, I’m not. These flowers are beautiful; don’t you think?

Demeter created poppies as she mourned for her child. A poppy, as bright may it seem, will always be tied to a darker meaning. But poppies also meant peace. Demeter must have sought for peace while she searched for Persephone.” Taeil was stunned. How did it slip from his mind? “Same goes with roses and lilies. All of these can hold a different meaning,” The singer continued, “while they all meant death, they can also be used to convey love. Everyone knows that roses symbolized various forms of love. Lilies, as grand as they look, often hold simpler meanings. This one you have here right now stands for innocence, just like you.”

“White lilies and baby’s breath… how did I not connect that earlier…” He muttered under his breath. Had he spent his life overlooking the meaning of things? He was already familiar with the language of flowers, sometimes using it instead of just talking. Taeil remembered the joy in his friends’ faces whenever he showed up with flowers. They’re all carefully chosen, aesthetic be damned. The bizarre choices in flowers could be his doing.

So why this particular bouquet? What are they trying to tell him?

The singer sensed his distress and placed a hand on the top of his. “Don’t fret too much. I liked them.”

“But they were funeral flowers- “

His protests were swiftly cut off “You saw them as funeral flowers, I saw it as love at its quietest. Red roses are wonderful, but they’re too loud. You can see the red from a mile away and you’ll already know what it meant.”

They stayed quiet after that. Could this person be right? A flower can be too loud, too obnoxious. Flowers replace words when needed. Their meaning will come out with the right person. Give the right bouquet to the wrong person and they’d think otherwise. Some flowers are shunned and it’s not because of their appearance. The tiger lily, for example. The bright orange blossom is often sent to enemies with a dire message. Danger was hidden behind the beauty.

The world worked the same way, only a little differently. While some are scorned because of their upbringing, it could mean differently for others. If the flowers he held meant death to him, it meant something else to the singer. The singer could be the innocent one.

Or maybe he was too innocent for the world, no matter how hard he tried. With how he easily misunderstood the gesture, he could always learn once he woke up. That is if Taeil could still remember.

“I can hear you think.”

Taeil exhaled, staring at the sky. Even the weather is perfect. But the weather could change at any moment. “Am I that shallow to you?” Taeil asked. He heard them chuckle, before feeling them drop a flower on his hand. Buttercups. Childishness. “You’re not kidding me right?”

“No, I’m not. I just think you’re sometimes like a child. I can see why people wanted to protect you.” He stared at the flower in between them. If he was following along, it also meant he wasn’t aware of the effect of his actions.

“I’m sorry…”

The singer finally turned towards him, a gentle smile on his face. His silvery hair shone brightly, complimenting his fair skin. Brown eyes sparkled under the light. His features were both gentle and rough at once. Taeil could see a little dimple at the side of his face. He was what you call handsome. This man could have bloomed along with the flowers. It wouldn’t be a surprise that he understood the language of the flowers well. “Are you done staring? I know I’m handsome and all but can you?” Taeil quickly turned away, warmth spreading through his cheeks. This dream is a little too perfect for his liking.

Dreams, while wonderful, all come to an end. He never wanted this dream to end. There would be no responsibilities demanding all of his attention. It would be just him, and the mysterious singer.

“I don’t want to wake up. Everything is peaceful here.” He admitted. The singer’s smile turned into a sad one.

“Then rest. I will wait for you in the real world,” He offers a forget-me-not “I’ll remember.”

-

A few months passed since the dream. As soon as he woke up, he tried to remember the singer’s face but to no avail. All he remembered was the forget-me-nots. The singer knew him in the real world, there is a chance he might be around the corner.

So Taeil waited. And waited. The waiting turned into longing. The longing mixed with sorrow, like the singer’s song. The dream seemed so far away now.

His friends were convinced that he was looking too much into the dream. But he insisted that they will come around. An unspoken promise hung in the air. Even if it will take years, then he would always wait.

“Can you at least describe him to us? Seriously, that drink we got a few months ago was probably spiked. Hey, Taeil-hyung are you even listening?!” Taeil snapped back to reality. He was met with his friends’ concerned gazes. “Sorry. Not feeling it today.” He apologized.

His friends exchanged worried glances but let it pass. “Go home hyung. Maybe a good night’s sleep is all you needed.” One of his co-workers said, shoving him out of the door. His protests fell on deaf ears as the door to the backroom shut. They might be right though. A full night’s rest might clear his head. As Taeil headed down the street, he bumped into someone, causing their basket of flowers to fly everywhere.

It wasn’t like those in dramas that Jungwoo and Doyoung loved to watch secretly at work. Time didn’t slow down and there was no OST playing in the background. One moment he was just walking and the next he was scrambling to pick up the fallen flowers. As he picked up a bunch of forget-me-nots, the one he bumped into started apologizing “Oh my God I’m so sorry I was kind of daydreaming I swear! It wasn’t intentional!”

That voice. Did he hear it from somewhere?

He finished picking up the flowers, handing it to the stranger “It’s alright. I wasn’t- “Words fell away once he got a good look at the strange person.

The silver hair was gone, replaced with black. His hair was cropped at the sides, the incident causing it to become a slight mess. The sparkly eyes, the kind smile. He would recognize that smile anywhere. A grin settled on their faces. “I should have introduced myself. I’m Taeil.”

“Kun. I told you, I’ll wait for you in the real world.”


End file.
